New beginnings :)

Well some of you may know, I have switched to a different training company where I feel that I will receive the proper training and nutritional advice, which is EXTREMELY important in competitive fitness. Met with my new trainer in person on Saturday and she's AWESOME!!! Full of energy, honest and very knowledgeable. She understands that not every body is the same and that some people's bodies respond differently to certain foods. We are on the same page as far as my competition goals and I feel that I can accomplish them because I have a team of people behind that support my decision.

Ok enough of that stuff, lets get down to the meat of this posting. I wanted to share with you all the art of carb cycling. Carb cycling is a short term plan designed for rapid weight loss while still preserving muscle mass. Most bodybuilders and other competitive fitness athletes use carb cycling to drop extra body fat that was put on during the off-season. A typical carb cycle would be a low, medium and high carbohydrate intake day. A low carb day would be maybe 0-15 grams of carbs, medium would be 50-60 grams of carbs and a high carb day would be 100-115 grams of carbs (these are not concrete numbers; depends on height, weight, and body type). This does require some reading of labels and measuring. It is very important to be as accurate as possible in order to ensure success on this program. If followed correctly, results will be noticeable within days. Physical activity is key sa well. My suggestion would be to schedule you more strenuous training sessions on the medium and high days and either use the low day as a rest day or light cardio training. I can say from experience, it is more difficult to get through a training session on a low carb day. If you can't give 100% why bother, right? Here are a few sites to check out if you're interested in starting a carb cycle meal plan:

http://www.fitnesslynn.com/mealpln2.htm

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=124612101

http://www.brighthub.com/health/diet-nutrition/articles/64698.aspx

                                                   
With anything involving nutrition and fitness consistency is the key!!! The results will come as long as the plan is adhered to :) I would say try carb cycling for 4 to 6 weeks then evaluate your progress. Let me know how ya do! As of Saturday I weighed in at 164 pounds (yea I'm a little juicy) and I am about a size 4, just to give you an idea. Today is my second day on the carb cycle meal plan and I am noticing certain areas are tightening up. I will keep you all posted on my progress maybe even with some pictures to follow :) It's time for me to head back to work remember: STAY FIT AND STAY HEALTHY!

Later Foodies